The Fire
by HermioneLumos
Summary: There is a fire in the hospital. People are in trouble. Will they get out in time? Based on the episodes Next of Kin. *Complete*
1. Chapter 1

Lenny was walking down to the basement, where he felt it becoming increasingly warm. He wondered what was making it so hot in there. He opened the door which lead to the switches powering christmas lights, the toaster, and kettle. It was on fire.

"Crap." He muttered and ran back out of the room and up the stairs to warn the others. After only being a few meters, maybe seven or eight, he heard a loud bang. Looking behind him, he saw a big cloud of fire approaching him, and he was thrown to the floor.

...

"What was that?" Zoe asked, after feeling the ground shake.  
"Maybe an earthquake?" Linda replied.  
"Maybe." Zoe said, and they got back to work.

...

The fire cloud was still catching up to Lenny, even though he was running at his fastest pace. He turned around, and the cloud was thinning out. But not before it reached the gas canisters. The canisters blew up, putting Lenny flying through the air. He landed on his front. He stood up after the noise had died down, and assessed him self quickly. No obvious damage on the outside, and no pain. So he began to run again, up the stairs, to warn the others.

...

"Another earthquake?" Zoe said to Linda, confused.  
"I don't think its an earthquake..." Linda said, seeing Lenny rush in.

"There is a fire..." He said, out of breath. "In the basement!"  
"Pull the fire alarm, now!" Linda said to Zoewho was stood right next to it.

The fire alarm went wailing throughout the ED. Nick ran in.  
"What is going on!" He wanted to know.  
"Fire.. In the basement." Lenny said, out of breath, bend over leaning on his knees.  
"Okay, everyone out now!" Nick said, and everyone started being ushered out by staff.

"Whats going on?"  
"Is there a fire?"  
"Is this a fire drill?"

Many questions were being asked, but no on had any really answered. Everyone was out, and they did a register for all the staff.

"Lenny?" Nick read out.  
"Here."  
"Tess?"  
"Here."  
"Mac?"  
"Here."

And this carried on down the list.

"Zoe?" Nick called, and recieved no reply. "Zoe?"  
"She isn't here, Nick." Tess said after looking around.  
"She has to be in there still." Linda said. "What about Dylan?"  
"Dylan... Oh yes, here he is." Nick said after looking at the list. "Dylan?" No reply.  
"Oh no... they were in the O.R." Linda said, and ran off in search of them.

"LINDA! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Nick called. "ITS NOT SAFE!"

Linda carried on running, and entered the building, against everyones wishes.


	2. Chapter 2

Tess gasped, and everyone else stared on in horror. One of their collegues had just ran in to a very unsafe building.  
"Oh no, Linda!" Sam said, after watching her run into the building.  
"Everyone stay put. We don't want anyone else going in." Nick instructed.

...

"Zoe! Dylan!" Linda called, walking into the reception area. "Zoe!"

She carried on running through the ED, calling their names, until she came across the OR. She could see them in there. She pushed the doors open hard so that they hit the walls.  
"Linda! You can't be in here!" Zoe said, as the doors clanged shut.  
"You need to leve! Now!" Linda explained.  
"What? Why? We are in the middle of a procedure, so if you don't leave-"  
"There is a fire in the basement! Can you not hear the alarms! The building is unsafe. You NEED to leave. Now."  
"There is no fire." Dylan said.  
"Be quiet and listen." Linda said.  
"But-"  
"SSSSH!"

They stood in silence, and sure enough, they heard a wailingin the background.  
"Is that the fire alarm?" Dylan asked.  
"Noooooo." Linda said sarcastically. "What else do you think that is?"  
"Fine. We will finish off here, and meet you outside." Zoe said.  
"Its not safe here Zoe! You need to go now!"  
"We can't! We are in the middle of a procedure. We leave him, and he dies." Zoe told her.  
"Fine!" Linda said, storming out. "If you want to risk two lives to save one, do it."

The doors clanged shut, and Zoe watched Linda leave. To her horror, a huge explosion crashed through the reception area, igniting it in flames. Something hit Linda, and Linda fell to the floor...


	3. Chapter 3

"Ohmy gosh, um, Dylan, we have to close him up. We can not continue with this!" Zoe said. "I need to go and see if Linda is okay."  
"You get Linda, and bring her in here. I will finish up." Dylan said. "Be careful."

Zoe ripped off her gloves, but decided to keep her mask on to protect herself from smoke inhalation. She ran up to Linda.  
"Linda... Can you hear me?" Zoe said, turning her over gently to provent further injury. "Linda!" She said louder. Looking at her, she could see she had some bad burns on her left arm, and a smaller one on the left side of her face. There was also a small cut on her forehead from where something hit her, but Zoe wasn't sure what it was.

She took both of Linda's arms and dragged her slowly back to the O.R.  
"Whats wrong with her?" Dylan asked.  
"Well, she got hit with something in the explosion, leading to a cut on her head. She has bad burns to her left arm and a small burn next to her left eye."  
"The best thing we can do in here is wash it and bandage it." Dylan said. "You do that, and I will put some cloths along the lining of the door to prevent smoke getting in until someone can get us out."  
"Okay." Zoe said, and began to get water for Linda's burns.

She washed the burns, and applied sterlile bandages to them, and then checked Linda's pupils. Both responded to light from the torch.  
"She isn't in any danger." Zoe said. "I don't like seeing her like this, but I'm glad she came to tell us about the fire..."  
"Me too, but we need a way to get out."  
"I can call Nick to see if we can get out..." Zoe said, pulling out her mobile. "...if I have signal."  
"You can try."  
"I have a few bars..." Zoe said, and clicked 'Ring' from Nicks name.

All they heard was ringing for the first few seconds.  
"Zoe? Where are you! You need to get out!" Nick said, desperate. "Are you okay?"  
"We are fine! But Linda tried to leave after telling us, but there was some sort of explosion and something knocked her out, and now she has so bad burns." Zoe said. "We can't leave, the exit is blocked!"  
"Can you clear it?" Nick asked.  
"Not unless you want me burnt alive!" Zoe said, starting to worry.  
"Back way?"  
"Also blocked!"  
"Okay, just stay put. The fire engines will be here soon." Nick explained. "Call me back if-"

There was no noise coming from other line.  
"Nick? Nick!" Zoe said, pulling the phone away from her ear. Then she groaned.

"No battery."


	4. Chapter 4

"What?" Dylan said.  
"I said, there is no battery!" Zoe said, throwing her phone down on the floor. She instantly regretted it, ran over and checked it for any damage. All was good.  
"Well, doing that won't help." Dylan said.  
"I know!" Zoe said, frustrated.

They heard shuffling from one of the beds. Zoe turned and saw that is was Linda waking up.  
"Linda?" She said, rushing to her. "Do you feel alright?"  
"Oh my gosh what happened to the ED!" Linda said, sitting up fast.  
"Stay down Linda. Are you feeling alright?" Zoe asked again.  
"Im fine! What happened?"  
"The ED is on fire. Do you remember?"  
"No..."  
"You came here to warn us about it as we had no clue! You went to leave, and there was an explosion, knocking you out!" Zoe said.  
"That would explain the headache." Linda said. "Can we go outside?"  
"No, all the exits are blocked..." Zoe said, sadly.  
"So we are trapped?"  
"Yes." Zoe said. "Why did you come and warn us? You could be outside, safe."  
"Yeah, and you wouldn't know about this." Linda said.  
"We would eventually." Zoe said.  
"Oh well, I thought it would be best if I told you." Linda said, putting her hand to her head. The movement of her arm made her wince. "What happened to my arm?"  
"The explosion gave you quite bad burns." Dylan explained. "Zoe did the best she could with them as we couldnt get anywhere."  
"Oh, thanks." Linda said.

"Now all we do is wait." Zoe said. "We can't get out and the building is unstable. We have to wait until they clear the exits."  
"Can they?" Linda asked. "I mean if there is still fire inside, they can't come in."  
"They can if the clear the exits. We just need to see if they get the exits clear before the building collapses..." Zoe said.  
"I can smell the smoke." Dylan said. "The blankets wont keep much more out."  
"I can smell it too." Linda said.  
"Well lets just hope they clear everything fast so we can get out soon." Zoe said.  
"Yeah..." Linda said.

A few minutes later, another explosion rocketed through the reception area. The O.R doors were shut, so it didnt effect them. Zoe soon started coughing.  
"Id offer you some water..." Dylan said to her. "But we dont have any."  
"Thanks." Zoe said, sarcastically and hoarsley. "There is some whiskey in the cupboard..."  
"Is there?" Dylan said, going for it.  
"I thought you didnt drink." Linda said to him.  
"I dont, but desperate times call for desperate measures." He said, taking a sip of it.  
"Give it." Zoe said hoarsley. She was getting tired. She took long gulps of it, not caring if it burnt her throat.  
"Dont leave me out." Linda said, reaching for the bottle. She took a little less than Zoe.

"If we dont get out soon..." Zoe said, rasping. "I think I will pass out." She leaned on the bed.  
"No you wont Zoe!" Linda said, concerned. "We will get out."  
"How do you know though?" Zoe asked.  
"I, I don't." She said, looking away.  
"See?" Zoe said.

She sank to the floor and leaned her head on the wall, taking some more of the whiskey to try and sooth her throat.  
"Zoe?" Linda said.  
"What?" Zoe said, tiredly.  
"I think there is someone coming." She said.


	5. Chapter 5

They all ran from the building. Linda and Zoe were slower as Zoe had to help Linda to balance, and Zoe was on the verge of collapsing herself. They clambered out of the doors and tried to run to the rest of the collegues.

They were about five metres from the building, when a huge explosion occured. The force of it blew Zoe and Linda to the floor. Linda got up and tried to get Zoe to do the same. Zoe was too tired, and just layed on the floor.

"Zoe!" Nick said, running to her when the blast ended. "Zoe!"  
Zoe just groaned and coughed on the floor. Sam ran up to her to help Nick. He picked her up and carried her to the tent outside where all the patients were moved. He placed her on the bed and got her some water.  
"Zoe, drink this." Nick said, coaxing it to her. She swallowed some but moaned in pain. Instead, he swapped the drink for an oxygen mask. "Better?"  
"Yeah." She rasped. Sam walked over to Linda.

"Thats a nasty cut, Linda..." Sam said. When another ambulance, you will be going to St James. You need it more than anyone else here."  
"Im fine. Let Zoe go." Linda said.  
"No, Sam. Linda must go." Zoe said, gulping down the clean air. "She got Ko'ed and burnt! I just got smoke inhalation."  
"You almost passed out in there!" Linda said.  
"But I didnt!" Zoe said.  
"You almost passed out?" Nick asked her.  
"Yeah..." Zoe said. "Im fine now."  
"No. You need to get checked out at St James." Nick said.  
"Fine. But Linda must go first." She said.  
"No Zoe..."  
"No buts." Nick said. "Even I think you should go. You have far worse injuries than Zoe."  
"Fine." Linda said, tired.

"There is an ambulance outside now." Tess came in and informed them.  
"Okay, thanks Tess." Nick said, and the paramedics came in. They put Linda into the back of the ambulance, and Sam went with her.

"Zoe..." Nick tutted, looking at the state of her. "Why didn't you leave when you were supposed to?"  
"We didn't hear the alarms." Zoe said. "And if we left when Linda did, we could of been killed! Linda was lucky that she wasnt."  
"At least we know now that fire alarms need to be put into O.R's." Nick said.  
"Yeah, Zoe said, resting her eyes and putting the oxygen mask back on her face.  
"Tired?" Nick asked.  
"Duh." Was all she said. Nick could now smell the whiskey.  
"You drank the whiskey I gave you?" He asked.  
"There was nothing else to drink." Zoe said. "It was either that or dehydrate."  
"You would have been better without it, you know." Nick said. "Alcohol is dehydrating."  
"Ugh." She groaned. "We couldn't think in there."  
"Obviously." Nick chuckled. "Well you are fine now."  
"Well I will be. My throat is killing me." She said in a whisper.  
"Well be quiet then. The ambulance will be here soon."


	6. Chapter 6

At St James hospital, Zoe got checked out first.  
"ED Fire victim?" The doctor said that met them at the door.  
"Yes. Zoe Hanna, doctor at Holby." The paramedic said. "Severe smoke inhalation."  
"Okay, thank you." The doctor said.  
"Where is Linda?" Zoe asked.  
"Linda?"  
"The other doctor brought in from holby."  
"Oh." He said. "They are just checking her over at the minute."  
"She is okay?"  
"She will be when her head wound is sorted. Needs a few stitches. Also her burns need to be sorted too."  
"I already put bandages on them." Zoe said.  
"You did those? They were very impressive." The doctor said, as they reached resus.

"Smoke inhalation." The doctor informed the nurses. "Get her some more oxygen. Then we will assess any lung damage."

Zoe was put on oxygen, and felt better after a while. They let her sleep there, and when she woke up, Nick was by her bedside, with Tess.  
"How are you, Zoe?" Nick asked.  
"Im fine." She said, and realised her voice only came out as a whisper. Nick gave her some water.  
"Drink." He said, and she sipped it. She cleared her throat.  
"How bad is it?" Zoe asked.  
"We can't use the hospital." Tess explained. "We have been allocated a new hospital nearby, but they are building it still. Because St James will have more patients now, us staff from holby will be working here for the mean time."  
"Was it that bad?" She asked.  
"Not one part of the hospital was untouched." Nick said, sadly. "Im going to miss that place."  
"Me too." Zoe said, drinking more of the water. "How is Linda?"  
"They stitched her up and treated her burns." Tess said. "We just went and saw her. She is fine, but the burns are causing her pain."  
"Of course they would. They were bad burns." Zoe said. "When is she leaving?"  
"They want her to stay today and tomorrow for observation and to see how well her burns are healing." Nick said.  
"Oh right. When am I leaving?"  
"Tomorrow. They want to keep you under observation aswell." Tess said.  
"Im fine though." She said and drank the rest of the water.  
"No, you damaged your lungs a little." Tess said.  
"No, I didnt. The smoke did." She said, looking smug.  
"True, but your lungs are still damaged." Nick said. "We want you to rest at home for a week or so before you come back to work."  
"What? Why?" Zoe asked.  
"Because of your lung damage! You will become short of breath a lot easier until the heal a bit." He said.  
"That won't stop me from working!" Zoe said.  
"You need time off." Tess said.  
"Fine. One week, then Im back here." She said.  
"Fine." Tess said. "But you wont be giving hard jobs."  
"Whatever." She said. "Can I have more water?"  
"Sure." Nick said, and left to get her a glass.

xxx

Zoe was allowed to leave the next day, but before leaving, she decided to go and see Linda.  
"Hey Linda." She said, walking into her collegues room.  
"Hey Zo." She said. She had bandages on her arm and her face, and stitches.  
"You feeling alright?" Zoe asked.  
"Im feeling fine. My arm hurts a bit though. Just don't want to be left with a scar..." Linda said, pointing to her face.  
"You can be Harry Potter for a while." Zoe chuckled.  
"Very funny." Linda said, not amused.  
"Im sorry, I couldn't resist." She said. "So you are leaving tomorrow?"  
"Yeah." She said. "But I have to keep changing the dressings on these burns..." Linda said, poking it and wincing.  
"Dont touch it!" Zoe said, and Linda groaned.  
"So you are allowed to leave now?" Linda asked her.  
"Yeah, came to see you before I leave." She said.  
"Did Tess tell you about the hospital?"  
"Yeah, we have to work here until they built another. At least we will all be working together again." Zoe said.  
"Yeah." Linda said.  
"Well I had better go." Zoe said. "Feel better."  
"I feel fine already." Linda laughed. "See you."  
"Bye." Zoe said, leaving the room.

xxx

Zoe returned to work a week later, and Linda two weeks. Zoe wasn't allowed to work in resus as it over worked her. She worked with Linda and Lenny in cubicles for the next few weeks. The hospital was due to be finished in a few months time so they had that to look forward too. Cubicles was boring Zoe, but it was amusing Linda as she kept getting weird cases, such as a little boy with a stylus stuck in his mouth. Zoe kept getting smaller jobs until she was sure her damaged lungs were fine.

She couldn't wait to go back to Holby when it was rebuilt. She wanted her own office more than anything and the ability to smoke on premises. St James restricted her and told her to leave the car park and smoke if she wanted to.

xxx

The hospital looked great when it was finished. They all said they would meet at the same time.  
"Wow! This looks fantastic!" Sam said, laying her eyes on the hospital for the first time.  
"I know! Its huge!" Lenny said.  
"I will need to get more staff..." Nick said, worrying about the size.  
"You will find some easily." Tess said, patting him on the back.  
"Ready to see the inside?" Nick shouted, pulling the keys out of his pocket.  
"Yeah!" Everyone said.

He slid the key into the lock, then pushed the door open. It was incredibly tidy.  
"Woah..." Zoe said, looking at it.  
"Wow." Lenny said, pulling aside blue curtains to see clean beds. "Looks like everything is here already."  
"Yeah." Sam said. "Are we opening today?"  
"No." Nick said. "I set this day for be setting up only."  
"But we don't need to set up! Everything is here!" Sam said. "Look, saline, morphine, bandages... Its all here."  
"Is it?" Nick said, opening draws. "Oh, so it is."  
"So we can open?" Sam said, excited.  
"Looks like it."  
"Yes!" Sam cheered.

Nick opened his phone, and dialled a number.  
"We are ready to open."


End file.
